The Crimson Flight
by Sigmatic
Summary: [Post-Conquest] The Kingdom of Hoshido is under attack by an army of invisible soldiers. Already devastated by the war with Nohr, it stands no chance of victory. The daughter of Queen Hinoka, Caeldori, is forced to flee for her life. Now, she resides in a kingdom far from home. Rated T and Pairings: RobinxCordelia
1. Conquest

**Author's Note: This is a Post-Conquest story that follows the events of Caeldori as she lives in Ylisse exiled from her home in Hoshido. Pairings are undecided so comment any you would like to see in the future. This is rated T for mostly just violence and maybe suggestive themes.**

Caeldori stood in horror at the scene that in front of her. What was once her lively home turned to a sight of massacre, servants and soldiers alike littered the grounds. The invisible soldiers stood unnerved as they butchered her caretakers. Never did they stay their hands even after her subjects surrendered, it made her weep openly. There was no savior, no hero, and not even her father to make matters right. She was daughter of the queen, Hinoka, yet she helplessly let those precious to her in die droves.

As she hesitated to take action, the Nohrian task force sent to the Shirasagi's aid was slowly being quelled. Even the renowned guard under the command of the Nohrian war hero Corrin stood no chance in defeating the invading forces. Shirasagi, and soon to be all of Hoshido, was doomed. The invisible forces simply overwhelmed their already tattered nation. The final Nohr-Hoshido War ended in the enemy's victory, however so too did the Nohrian King fall and his top constitutes were prosecuted. While peace remained for a time, the scars of the war could never be healed, the mass graves made that very evident.

The poor princess realized that Hoshido had not the manpower to retaliate or even defend in another conquest. She cried out as an invisible swordsman dawned a blade toward her. In a brief moment, the ghostly mercenary was pushed back by a guard naginata. Caeldori turned to see her father, barely keeping the enemy's blade in a parry. "Caeldori, what are you still doing here? You need to leave now. The palace is unsafe." He exclaimed, his voice deflected the calm and collected image she had of him. He spoke cold and callus, it was his desperate plea. Her entire body trembled. Her source of security withered down by nameless legionaries.

While the redhead remained reluctant, another call was made at her. "Do I need to repeat myself?!" In an even harsher tone, it was clear he could not hold back the phantom back any longer. His strength was not unmatched, unlike how he was framed in her childhood stories.

"But I can't—" she was cut off by Subaki's groan as the mercenary counter broke the defensive stance. The blade nicked her father's once perfect face, blood trickled down from his cheek. Her legs for some reason regained their strength. Caeldori withdrew a fallen naginata from the palace's ground. With a cry, her weapon cut sloppily through the mercenary. "I can help too!" With the duo, the redhead found certainty that the situation could be managed. Her denial was self-evident, but her duty as the kingdom's crown princess turned her purposefully ignorant.

"Caeldori, there are many more to come. Even together, we can't fight them all off. Had Lord Ryoma still been… please, you must heed my warning." He reiterated, "As the crown princess, the Dawn Dragon's blood lives in you. Shirasagi is lost, but you can still live on. With you alive, Hoshido can continue on."

"But I can't leave you to die!" She protested adamantly, she knew her father to be a martyr type. It was a core belief of all retainer's to place their liege's life above their own. The tales of his unwavering loyalty to his aunt was what made him legendary amongst the pegasus knights. What Caeldori considered fool hearty, Subaki considered it honorable. Though, she was a walking contradiction, especially with her insistence to stay behind.

"Caeldori, do you doubt my abilities?" It was a bluff. The redhead could read her father well, and this scenario screened of him making excuses. Her blind following of his word held her back from tuning on what else he had to iterate. "I can handle myself, you need not worry about me. I will catch up." His half-hearted smile was deceptive, and his prideful tone was equally artificial.

"If you s-say so, daddy." She could not even believe herself. "Dad watch out!" She called out seeing an outlaw aim his bow toward the elder's body. Though her cry fell on deaf ears as the arrow was already flung, it made contact through his chest. Her eyes widened to the horrifying scene, bile rose in her throat. Had she not the maturity, any child her age would have broken down crying.

Subaki coughed up blood, his gaze lazily searched for his kin. The blood loss seemingly already took a toll on the man's vision. "Run!" Another arrow whizzed by, this time it breached the armor atop his shoulder.

Caeldori broke into a mad sprint, scared for her life and not wanting to see her father's last moments. While running, she had a better view of the full extent of the devastation. The plentiful number of invisible soldiers she observed in her path were only a precursor for the army that overran the citadel.

Once in the courtyard, there she spotted the last stand of the royal guards and good number of devotees to the once traitor of Hoshido. Amongst the living, there were quite a few unfamiliar Nohrian faces and some relatives. Her uncle figure and retainer, Azama, tended to the wounded while her mother's other retainer, Setsuna, laid down cover-fire at the distant outlaws.

"Princess Caeldori?" The guards called as if they forgot their precarious position. The priest soon turned to make eye contact with the young girl, even fear showed itself in his squined eyes.

"Caeldori, you're not harmed are you?" Those words betrayed how she originally saw him. Rather than the nihilistic priest that gave pointless wisdom to her mother whenever she was suffering an episode, he was a desperate individual who was suffocated by the weight of his position.

"I am completely fine, Uncle Azama. Is everyone alright?" She responded worried.

"All is well and good err—not really. Even with added reinforcements from Nohr, we don't stand a chance of winning." He frowned, sweat beads fell from his brow all the while. "But since you're safe it is great now. We don't have to stall any longer. I can finally accept my death laying it down to see your safe flight." Her mind froze at his final words. To think that so many of persons chose to lay down their lives for a hapless princess, it was nothing short of confounding to Caeldori. Her mother went on at length of how it was the royal's duty to serve the common folk, yet the entirety of Shirasagi willingly sacrificed themselves to see to her survival.

"What do you mean?!" She cried, only to be silenced as a Nohrian paladin pulled her onto his horse. "Let me go!" The man's grip was harsh, though Caeldori suspected that there was no vendetta in his treatment.

"I am afraid I cannot, Lord Corrin told me to protect his family. Azama, Setsuna, I will be off now." The two retainers nodded in response, finally they voiced their gratitude before turning back to the fray. The redhead struggled to free herself from the captor's grip. If she let the horseman do as he pleased, Caeldori feared she would never see her adoptive family members ever again. Her whimpering was no vice in relieving the guilt that collected on her chest.

"Mitama..." The princess overheard Azama mutter as he healed an already bleeding Setsuna. Both, no, all of the remaining soldiers barely had the strength to stand from what Caeldori could observe. The pitiful sight crushed her confidence. Her preconceived notion of the Dawn Kingdom's prestige shattered by a mysterious foe.

The horse made quick work as the castle's limits came into distance. That was until a wave of combatants manifested, throwing javelins and firing arrows in their direction. It was almost as if the abominations were given the strict order to see to the annihilation of every person in the vicinity. The paladin fortunately dodged the bulk of attacks, but his horse took a near fatal strike from an unlucky arrow.

"Sophie please forgive your father." He muttered, a tear fell from his helm. The scenario was a mirror of what happened prior with both Azama and Subaki. With a push, the young girl fell from the horse abruptly. "For milord, you must live on. I can no longer hold them at bay. I give my life to you, princess. Please, use it to survive and live another day." In a last charge, the man disappeared into the battlefield with sword in hand.

While she outran any pursuers, her providence ran out upon finding herself pinned to a wall. Enemies slowly emerging from all sides, her pursuit was over. Her life was near its end. Caeldori knew not how to act in the face of one's own mortality. The moment seemed so surreal. In disbelief, she closed her eyes and prayed for it to be quick. "Like you're gonna have such a cowardly death!" She heard a shout, to which caused her head to spin to where the new voice originated from.

Clad in Nohrian mercenary armor, a woman, armed with only a steel sword, scowled at her. The attitude was a complete contrast from the respect given to her by the retainers. Had she not already been gaping at her newfound hope, she might have been in shock at the unexplained grudge against her. "Foolish kid, you look so stupid with that sad expression on your face." The juvenile insult did little to faze her.

"W-Who are you?"

"I'm Selena, retainer of Princess Camilla and tasked with the mission of saving Lord Corrin's precious niece." She bellowed proudly, though her eyes turned to a squint a second later. "Now don't go acting all high and mighty now that you know I'm just a soldier." She groaned, though Caeldori had to admit her annoyance did not sound genuine. "I don't need some princess commanding me to do backflips for a last request."

The redhead felt something amiss with the woman. While Selena was unkind, she could almost forgive any affront flung her way. In the eyes of the redhead, she noticed the Nohrian reflect a similar fear. It was puzzling to say the least.

"Is something the matter? You keep giving me glares."

"No! Shut up!" For a brief moment, her harsh remark prolonged the silence. "Look, I'm sorry for my behavior. It's just your face- it really pisses me off."

"W-What why?"

She seemed hesitant to answer first, only to come to an epiphany. Her expression immediately reverted from the noticeable realization to how she held herself just prior. "It reminds me of someone dear to me." She confessed begrudgingly, but an equal amount of relief was perceptible too. "You, uh, look like myself. I had that same silly look on my face when I was your age, and it annoys the hell out of me seeing it."

Before Caeldori could even respond, the steps of the many of soldiers sounded. They acted in one cohesive unit, by far too organized to be either Nohr or Hoshido in this skirmish. "Look we are wasting time; I have a way to get you out of here." Selena voiced, the princess was shocked by this news. There was no mount in any directions, it all smelled of a bluff.

"Wait, how? Surely you can't be serious, those monsters blocked every route!" It was a guess grounded in her own intuition. She was praised by her father as a genius for a reason after all. "Unless you have a wyverns or pegasus that can dodge a flurry of arrows, we are dead." Caeldori said frustrated, all these constant orders and promises ran her thin. Her hope could not take another loss.

"Who said anything about a path?" She held in her hand a crystal. "This was supposed to be for myself, but your idiotic expression made me change my mind. Gods, how grateful you should feel! I'm leaving behind so much for you! So many people dear to me who will never know my fate. Maybe, you can have the curtesy to pass on the grim news to everyone. Ol' Sevy has reached her conclusion. I don't even get to say goodbye to moth—my friends or father!" She spoke furiously while readying the item. "Use this portal to escape." She instructed as the crystal disintegrated into a bright hole.

"Will you be coming with me?" For some reason, the older woman gave her a strange feeling inside. Whether it was out of sympathy or some other reason, there was something unique about the hero. Not like that knight or Uncle Azama, but in her heart there was some sort of feeling that bridged the two of them. It was hard to describe for Caeldori.

"Afraid I can't, this thing only allows one person to leave. Looks like it's the end of the road for me, damn to think it ends here. I hope they'll all forgive me." Selena said to herself, the fear seemed to quiet her up.

The young princess made steps toward the portal, despite how she preferred to have seen Selena go instead. She was only a small distance away from the light when she heard a shriek from behind her. With a parting gaze, the sight was frightful. A cloaked swordmaster slung his katana through Selena's abdomen.

"Cordeli- Caeldori don't look back!" The elder cried out; "It's your duty to continue to live. As the princess, carry on your blood and seek adventure. For the path you take will mold you to be a greater person!" She paused, as she coughed out blood. "Y-You must strive for perfection, then even your comrades will look to you for strength. The lives lost today will never go in vain if you keep l-living. Please... Take care of yourself, I-" Selena stopped herself as the crimson liquid poured from her injury.

While she had seen family die and similar strangers fall in such a manner, even more tears streamed down her cheeks as for some odd reason this goodbye tore her apart greatly. She wanted to cry out, but the portal quickly swallowed her whole.

The light vanished and the swordmaster only remained stoic, was it a win or loss he thought. "Caeldori..." he muttered thinking of how familiar that red hair was, his hazy memories shifting to that of a young girl likely now a mother. Though in the end, it mattered little for the cloaked man.

The wayward princess found herself on the forest floor. Surrounded by a dense number of trees, she looked around worriedly. Of course, there she did not find Selena. Caeldori could only remember the image of her death. Tears welled up once more, as she felt hopeless. That was until a voice was heard from a nearby clearing. "Well, well, what do we have here?" A gruff man chuckled.

As the princess peered in, she spotted a girl of her same age approached by a gruff man. He wasn't heavily armed per se but his expression did not seem innocent, "What is a little girl like you doing so far in the woods? There are many dangerous figures in these parts."

"I-I'm lost, I was just wandering around and got separated from my parents." She cried out, certainly fearing for her own life. As the bigger man neared her, he slowly moved his hand toward her wrist.

Caeldori wasted no time in charging the man. She hit into his side and he stumbled. While he was not hurt, he was shocked by the sudden attack. The redhead ushered the brunette girl to scurry deeper into the forest. The two then reached the thicket of woods. Caeldori let out heavy pants as they traveled far enough where the brute could not see them. "Huff huff a-are you hurt?"

The young girl shook her head frantically, as if she could not will herself to even speak. Though as the brute's chants began to disappear, so too did the other collect herself. "Thank you." She muttered quietly.

"It was no problem; did you know that man?"

The other girl shook her head profusely, "Not at all, I think he was a Plegian bandit."

"Plegian?" Caeldori mouthed, the word seemed unrecognizable to her.

"Yes, Plegia. You know the country we are at war at currently?" The stranger gave an equally puzzled look, very strange to find those who knew little of the world. Everyone's fathers and brothers were fighting brutally across the continent; she could only remain clueless as to the redhead's ignorance.

Caeldori cleared her thoughts, "Say... Where are we?" Upon further inspection, the woods that surrounded her seemed to even variate from her Hoshidan counterparts.

The girl titled her head, then with a shrug answered. "We are in Ylisse, not too far from Themis."

While none of it made sense for Caeldori, she knew little of these lands. Clearly Selena's portal took her somewhere knew, she remembered her elder's words. Although young and troubled, she could only imagine that the woman meant that this was where her family was from. It was painful to think she would need to confront her family someday of this news. Caeldori also recognized that it would even a great task just to find her parents.

"What's your name?"

After she heard the other, she broke from her inner turmoil. Her name she thought, she was reluctant to even give it under such circumstances. Even in the off chance that those invisible soldiers were looking for her here, making herself known would be foolish. That was her excuse to herself, but in truth Caeldori felt undeserving of her name. The daughter that fled, the one who left behind her parents and home. Though if not Caeldori then what she wondered to herself.

"Hello? Oh right, mother told me it was impolite not to introduce myself first. I am Sumia, it's a pleasure." She extended her hand after her crude introduction.

While an alias was a smart idea, it was difficult to come up with a name. However, she could not help but remember Selena's stutter. She thought of that mistake, Cordeli she mused. That would have to do she concluded. As she shook Sumia's hand, she spoke up. "My name is Cordelia, it's a pleasure as well."

 **Please review if there is anything wrong you noticed. Also, I'll be more motivated to write if you provide any ideas. Pairings remain undecided and the plot will mostly follow the events of Awakening and Fates, though suggestions are appreciated regardless.**


	2. Rebirth

**Author's Note: It seems like RobinxCordelia is highly supported, and as such will likely be the main pairing. Though, this will be mostly centered on Caeldori. It's not going to follow the Awakening storyline and will deviate from the Fates line as well. There will be some time skips in these first couple chapters. Again, I don't want to focus too much on the canon events as there have been more than enough fics that have done that well. Anyways, who would you like to see Severa with? Any background pairings to feature as well? As always, any criticism or comments are greatly appreciated.**

While life in Ylisse was a far cry to her's in Hoshido, Cordelia grew accustomed to the new country. It had been five years since that fateful day. Each day, memories would pour in and ruin her mood. She felt embarrassed whenever Sumia would notice her tears or bloodshot eyes. However despite such hardships, her former life mattered little. For someone of her ambiguous background, the redhead thrived. Sumia was more than gracious to lend her housing, and her natural aptitude allowed her to reimburse her best friend's family. With the reputation she built up through her odd jobs, Cordelia found opportunity in the army. She stroked the mane of her pegasus, Aurora. She could not believe that she was accepted into the guard, yet the pegasus was living proof.

"Looks like I'll be a Tenma Knight like mother and father after all." She muttered to herself, the mount did little to acknowledge her ramblings. "I just hope I can live up to their expectations, gods know that it would be hard to compare myself to dad." She paused, once again pulled back into the nightmare. Minutes passed by, she could only imagine the sight of her mother's pegasus following from the skies. She shuttered at that image, and vowed herself to continue to improve. "I miss you both..."

"Miss who?" Cordelia jerked at the sudden voice and fell onto her rear. It was captain Phila who posed the question. The falcon knight gave a cold glare at her inferior's fall. "Cordelia, you are expected to meet with your squadron three minutes ago."

"I'm sorry, I was just lost in thought." Cordelia tried, though her excuse fell on deaf ears. While Phila recognized her talent, she like many of the other knights were stern with her. Cordelia was the youngest of Ylisse's Pegasus Knights, and received the brunt of criticism.

"I don't care what is keeping you up, just return to the others before I have you run the track for each minute you spend sitting." The redhead jerked herself up and broke into a mad sprint, she detested running and Phila could find ways to make it even worse.

The girls already lined up sent glares her direction. Such hostility was something she got used to since she arrived, as no one took kindly to her social background. Sumia's family was well regarded and had connections to some notable families, while she only hung on their coat tails as a dependent. She did not notice when one female extended her leg and tripped the younger girl.

She fell face first into the dirt and was met with a chorus of laughter. "Lil' Cordy is a real clutz. How could someone so ungraceful be considered a pegasus knight." She gritted her teeth, this was not how she remembered the fliers back home. Tenma Knights were not conceited and much preferred ability to regality. She loved Aurora dearly, but Hoshidan pegasi too were much kinder.

As she rose herself, Phila took center stage. "Today, you should feel delighted in our honored guests who will oversee your routine for today." The Maiden pointed her hand toward a boy of her age and a blonde girl a couple years younger. "I have the esteemed privilege of introducing Prince Chrom Lowell and his younger sister Lissa Lowell."

Chrom awkwardly made his way toward Phila's side. "It's uh nice to meet you all." She could not help but notice all her comrades gaze at the prince. As a Royal herself, Cordelia could recognize their intentions from a mile away. Like the young samurai of Hoshido, they too saw their chance into the royal family. She scoffed at this, the life of a royal was far from the pretty image. She remembered back to all the lessons she took on manners and public appearances. While the young princess did well to meet expectations, it would be a lie to deny how boring the exercises could get.

"Prince Chrom, why don't you take your sister to observe the stables? I'll send you a trainee to guide you." Phila suggested, as she scanned the crowd. While all the others swooned over the blue haired lord, she recognized Cordelia's empty mindedness. She was stern with the girl not for the petty reasons like the other fliers, but she saw potential in her. When Cordelia first arrived into their ranks, Phila saw wasted potential in how she handled herself. The attitude always seemed to irk the older woman. Enough to the point where she looked past the transgressions the other knights pulled on the redhead. The captain gave a small smile at the thought of alerting the redhead.

"Yes, I would be delighted." The prince replied, his sister nodding along too. "It's been a while since I've been to the stables. Mother used to love to let us play there. It would be very refreshing to return." His younger sister all the while continued to nod in unison.

"Perfect," Phila scanned the crowd once more. "I have a picked out a guide already." She turned, her gaze faced toward the redhead once more. "Cordelia, please show the prince the pegasi."

Cordelia's attention was brought back from her trance and she acted thoroughly surprised. "U-Um y-yes- yes, Captain Phila." She straightened herself up, she was not expecting to be handed the task. Her head turned to see a disapproving frown from Phila sat her foolish behavior. Though Phila's expression was pleasant compared to her fellow trainees, all of which glared daggers into her side. "Prince Chrom, Princess Lissa, this way."

"Wow, so you're a pegasus knight?" Lissa said in amazement as the group made way toward the pegasi territory. "You look just as old as me! What age are you?"

"I turned sixteen last July." Cordelia remembered back to the nice party thrown for her, though it always felt off. Through miscommunication, Sumia got her birthday wrong by a day. Ever since then, her birthday has changed from July the sixth to the seventh. She really didn't bother correcting Sumia, in fact she preferred distancing herself from Caeldori. That princess was long gone in her mind.

"Oh! Chrom is sixteen too!" The young girl said amused, "Hey! Since Cordelia here is a recognized Pegasus Knight, why don't you start to fight more? You know start up the Shepherds!"

"Shepherds?" Cordelia said confused by Lissa's ramblings. Chrom perked up a bit, at her question. The girl could see behind his foolish grin a very genuine prince. To an extent, his casual posture and mannerisms reminded her of mother.

"Well, you see I was thinking of starting a vigilante group. It's the least I can do for my big sis- I mean Exalt Emmeryn. Though Frederick has been constantly shooting down the idea, he keeps saying I should wait till I'm older." The older girl was perplexed by this behavior. She heard stories of how her mother and uncles took the battlefield, yet all her life she remained a sheltered princess. It was refreshing to see it firsthand, but the pleasure turned to pain as her flight continued to leave a sour taste in her mouth. She thought to herself she should have stayed and defended Shirasagi. Or better yet, she could have saved mother, father, uncle Azama, aunt Setsuna, that knight, or her.

"It would be dangerous for the prince to go out fighting especially with all the bandits in these parts." Cordelia responded, she chose not to continue to press herself on her past mistakes.

Chrom shook his head. "Like you are one to talk, you're in the military after all. What's makes one individual's circumstances unable to enlist? I'm strong too, and I've been training ever since Emm took the throne." He bragged. Cordelia could relate to him in many regards, but tried to dismiss his points in fear of invalidating what she did to this point. It was foolish to dwell on this matter she thought.

"A country needs its prince. We fight for you and the halidom. If you were to get injured or worse killed, the country would lose its hope." Her response was yet to be charged with emotion, rather she kept a stoic manner.

"What is the good of a prince if not for his people? Without Ylisse, I would be a prince of nothing." He paused and lifted his sleeve to reveal a strange tattoo. "While I carry this brand and will inherit the falchion, both were bestowed by Naga for the sake of my subjects."

Cordelia blushed at this declaration. His courage was very admirable, how she envied that behavior. "I-I see, well we've reached the stables."

She pushed open the heavy doors, the long stable stood in front of them. The mounts all looked curiously toward the royals. Chrom took the initiative to approach the nearest, only it rejected his hand. After the pegasus very nearly bit the prince, the boy eased his way behind Cordelia. "Not good with animals?" Cordelia suggested as she held back her laughter at such a display.

"In the past, it was mother who handled the pegasi when we visited. Even then, those winged horses preferred Lissa." His once noble speech turned to something laughable. Instead of being dissuaded, she held back her urge to laugh. Her heart continued to beat heavily as the prince clutched her backside.

Lissa took her turn in petting the nearest pegasus. "Poor Chrom, even Sully's horse seems to have it out for him. He did not inherit mother's riding skills."

"The queen was a pegasus knight?" She asked cautiously, all the idle chat made her forget her place. She mentally cursed herself for being so informal around royalty. Though, she only felt herself melt at how approachable Chrom could be.

Lissa nodded. "She was a renowned falcon knight, she even trained Phila. Her prowess was what caught father's eye. I do miss her though, it's strange coming here without her." The blonde girl's story was another reminder of the past. She very nearly reared up the words, until another voice was heard.

Chrom interrupted her thoughts as he recounted his own remembrance. "Mother's in a better place now, but we must stay strong for her. She would feel heartbroken to know that we can't face the pegasi because of her."

"Sheesh, Chrom. I know that, don't need to break into another speech. Gods help us if anything happens to Emm, I do not want to be stuck with you as exalt." The display was pleasant for the onlooker.

"For a prince and princess, you both act very casual." Cordelia voiced aloud, not able to hold back her observation.

Chrom gave a large grin. "What's so wrong about that? You don't seem to mind." She realized how relaxed she acted, her face turned the same shade of red as her hair. The blue haired prince took note of this and broke into laughter. Cordelia blushed heavily, but sighed knowing that she lost.

"Thank you for helping us get here. Chrom would have gotten us lost for sure." Lissa supplied as she walked away from the mount's stall.

"It was my pleasure, princess Lissa." She peeked up and her head turned to the now composed Chrom. Though, she still noticed the sizable distance between him and the pegasus. "Prince Chrom," She paused caught up in his attention once more. She felt herself crumbled at his attention. "If I may, I think you should follow through with your idea of the Shepherds. It is very courageous." She cursed herself for even trying. Embarrassed beyond belief, her gaze turned away.

Chrom's expression changed after her compliment. Compassion turned to inspiration, he felt a great urgency. "Thanks! I'll try asking Emm today. It was nice talking to you, Cordelia."

The two exited from the stable and were met by the royal guards addressed to pickup them up by their sister. Cordelia stared longingly as the prince disappeared into the horizon. Instead of uncertainty and fear, her mind turned to love.

"Cordelia! Stop dawdling and get back to practice!" She heard Phila's voice from afar.

The trainee tensed up and cried back. "Yes, M-ma'am!" She broke into a sprint and rushed in the direction of the voice.


	3. Incurison

**Author's Note: I still don't own anything Fire Emblem related, there is some violence in this chapter and maybe a suggestive theme. Just to be safe, this is still rated T. I will be going RobinxCordelia, but I leave other pairings open.**

Despite their initially bullying and teasing, Cordelia's change in attitude was noted by her fellow pegasus knights. Instead of just brooding or being stuck in a perpetual melancholy, the redhead reached out to them each day. While still jealous of her almost unnatural aptitude as a rider, the hazing died down for the most part. Aurora continued to flutter desperately as screams could be heard from behind. Just as new friendships began to blossom, so too were they killed mercilessly. "Everyone... please forgive me." She whispered as the Ylissean guard was eradicated.

They gave their lives for her flight. In exchange, she must live on for all of them. Her eyes once again welled up, yet the tears never descended. Cordelia could not get herself to cry, her mission depended on her. Never again would she be the crying child that fled from her home. Even though the situation was similar, Cordelia's purpose now was to parlay with Chrom and the Shepherds.

Cordelia wished not to see her happiness end again, it took her far too long the last time. She was not the foolish princess any longer. "There they are!" She breathed out with a sigh of relief. Though, Breakneck Pass was far from safe, wyvern riders littered the sky as the grunts charged the Shepherds. Further from the action, a silver-haired falcon knight stood consoling the exalt. "Captain Phila!" She cried out.

"Cordelia?" Her superior said confused by her sudden appearance. The captain still maintained her air of elegance despite the dire situation before them. "What of the others?" She immediately asked as her presence meant something was wrong. Cordelia knew her very being here showed a plight that much Phila caught on to.

"They're all d-dead, ma'am." Cordelia only managed to squeak out, the memories still fresh in her head. She gazed back to see the stoic captain, to whom looked more stressed than miserable. That face looked so much like her mother's retainers, how their duty made it impossible to even have the time to mourn.

"I see... Cordelia, the exalt's life is first priority. I need you to assist the Shepherds in repelling the Plegian regiment. Consult with Prince Chrom for details, I will be behind protecting Lady Emmeryn." Her orders were absolute, but her conviction was waning. Such a loss of life made both hesitant to even maintain their professional standing.

"Understood, captain." She hit the reins on her mount, the pegasus flew forward toward the fighting. She recognized wyvern riders nearing her position. With a swift maneuver, she tipped and landed by the prince. "Lord Chrom!"

"Cordelia?" The blue haired man spoke out in surprise, his eyes lit up when his guess was confirmed. "Great, you're here. We're in dire need of some air support."

Cordelia lit up at his remembrance of her, her maiden heart beat harder in her chest as he gave a smile to her. "Air support?" She muttered silently, as she still reeled in his kindness. "I understand." Her voice snapped to show professionalism, in this moment she was a knight of Ylisse not some lovestruck maiden.

"Great, I would suggest you talk with our tactician, Robin, first. He's the brains of this operation, all he says I'm good for is swinging my sword." While he meant it to only be a joke, Cordelia took offense on his behalf. She carried over a sour attitude as Chrom pointed out to their new strategist. Her flier was guided to his side, "Sir Robin, I presume." She said in a cold voice.

His snow white hair was an immediate reminder of a familiar person to her, an unloved uncle to her family. "A pegasus knight? I take it you are on our side." He quickly assumed, Cordelia only rolled her eyes at his foolishness. "What is your name?" He asked, only to pause as a unleashed a thunder spell out at an approaching barbarian.

"Cordelia, sir," She suppressed any sort of malice, but a glower remained on her face. "Knight of the Ylisse's Pegasus Guard." Her introduction was met with an absent stare from the man. Only for him to shake his head and return back to his senses.

She watched the tactician brainstorm only for a thought to cross his mind almost immediately. "Perfect!" An epiphany popped up in his mind. To which caused Cordelia to gaze in confusion, she gauged his reaction in hope of finding some context.

"W-what is it?" Her surprise showed in her question, to which only made the man's grin grow larger.

"Cordelia, I need you to allow me to ride with you. Considering the wyvern reinforcements to come and that their commander has an aerial view, it is dire that I am on equal footing. Besides with this tome," he waved the Elwind book happily. "I should be able to protect you."

She nodded hesitantly, as she made room on Aurora. The pegasus was fickle on its owner, but knew when to comply to her master's orders to which Cordelia greatly loved. As years went by, the redhead only became more close to her mount. The tactician took the invitation and got behind Cordelia. "Where to now?"

"Hmmm, we should signal Sumia. I need to tell her to fall back and support Chrom. His Falchion is necessary in defeating the Plegian commander." Robin deduced, only Cordelia could only nod along absentmindedly as she heard her friend. How close those two became such she joined the Shepherds startled the redhead, jealousy only welled up. She broke from her thoughts as a gust of wind shook the pegasus, Robin clung to her quick. His arms wrapped around her waist, a blush crossed her face.

Sumia came into distance immediately, she seemed to be providing the bulk of cover from the advancing wyvern riders. Her presence was held back however by a line of archers, who yielded as the Shepherds made another push forward. "Sumia!" Cordelia called out, "You're needed in the back. The tactician- Sir Robin says he needs you to bring Chrom forward."

"Cordelia!" Sumia said firstly surprised, her friend's presence however only foretold bad news however. Such a happy reunion would have to wait till the battle ceased. "I um uh, of course!" She said absolute trying to her best to hide such feelings.

"She seems rather happy to being with Chrom. Ever since she first saved Chrom back at the Feroxi border, they have done well when fighting together." Robin's voice chimed in much to Cordelia's chagrin. She felt for her dear friend, but her heart weighed heavy on such a topic.

"I noticed." She muttered in an icy tone, only to dissuade herself from such a petty attitude. How her mother would have scolded on such behavior. "What are my orders?"

"Hmmm, I need you to veer to the left." As she commanded her mount, so too did the man hold on tighter to her. As much as he must have kept his cool, Cordelia could tell that he was a good flier. Rather than scold him for being touchy, she let him be. "Chrom should be able to defeat the commander and defend against any stragglers. Our job is to clear a path."

Before she had the chance to even ask how, the tactician sent forth a great wind that rattled a nearby Plegian flier. It was a long fall down for the poor soldier, but it was a life or death for everyone. "Be careful, I do not want Aurora to be caught in your wind spells."  
"Sorry about that, I should have given you a prior warning, Cordelia. I get too engrossed in my strategies to even properly communicate." He chuckled out, though there was something eerily familiar about his excuse.

 _Subaki let out a laugh as he realized his cluelessness, "I'm sorry, Caeldori. I did not notice you there," he said as his hand brushed against her crimson hair. "I was too busy with my training to notice you staring." He took her up into his hairs and cradled the young girl._

Cordelia shook her head violently, as deep breaths escaped her mouth. How the urge the cry took her once more, only to cease when a hand was placed against her back. "Cordelia, are you alright?" The concerned tactician asked, his expression turned worrisome.  
"It's- it's fine. Let's just finish this." She answered. With a flick of her spear, the pegasus was guided within range of another wyvern rider. Robin once again unleashed a gust that tore into the flier's wings. Once again, the pilot fell to his demise. His vision turned to that of a loud shout.

Her head followed his eyes to Chrom and Sumia. Aboard the pegasus, Chrom swung his Falchion into the Plegian commander's steel axe. The officer was sent back while the sword continued to cut through the wyvern's scales. The dragon let out a pained scream before it succumbed to its wounds.

As the Plegian met a distasteful end at the hand of the jagged shoreline below them, a cheers rung out on the Ylissean's side. "There we go, tactician. If you excuse me, I must meet with captain Phila once more." She said dismissively, as her mount finally descended.  
"She should be in back making necessary preparations with the Exalt. Gods know how everyone's taking the news of Emmeryn's withdrawal." Robin reported firstly, only for his attitude to start to shift. "You handled yourself pretty well, I hope you will be staying with us." He said almost sounding embarrassed.

"Considering how the Pegasus Knights were nearly eradicated, my options are few. For the safety of Lord Chrom, I will be sure to consider your prayers." Her answer caused the man beam happily, a big grin crossed his face.

"Very well, be sure to stop by my tent later." His words earned him an odd stare from the pegasus knight. A blush lit up her face and matched with her bright red hair.

"W-what?!" She sputtered out, as she read into the implications.

"Oh... not that!" His obliviousness expression turned to that of a flustered one. With a constant shake of his head, he tried to reassure her. "I meant, if you are going to be with us, then I should get to know you more. Er, hear more about you."

"I see, then I will visit later." She found however that keeping a cold facade could not work after their miscommunication. They parted ways a moment after, Robin off to his tent while Cordelia toward Phila and the Exalt's site.

Before she could even get within ear shot of her captain, a figure appeared from the mountainside. Cordelia immediately tensed, her hand gripped hard on her steel lance. "Show yourself, vagrant."

"Easy there, I mean no harm. I'm with the Shepherds. Though I would hope you wouldn't skewer me even if I wasn't fighting alongside you, what are friends for exactly?" His voice was clear, yet Cordelia could not place it. In her time in Ylisse, Chrom was the closest thing she had to a male friend.

"Who are you?!" She seethed still not buying his nonchalant attitude. She glared daggers into the man's eyes, yet he was unfazed by her reaction.

"Can you first put down the lance, Dawn Princess?" His question caused all of her blood to chill, her eyes fixated on him. Until she finally made out more than just his shape, an orange haired young man dressed in dark attire stood before her. His hands raised as her tip was only a few feet from his chest.

"Dawn P-p-princess?" She parroted not used to being addressed in such a manner. "How?!" Her eyes the size of saucers as she scanned his face. "How did you know?"

"Because," he began as he cleared his throat. "I just so happen to be from ol' Hoshido." While her lance was still aimed at him, the thief remained relaxed. "My pops was a retainer to your family after all."

"What was his name?" Her memories still vivid of that day, she prayed that she would not have to be a bearer of bad news.  
"Saizo, y'know a real scary ninja. He had a cut along his left eye. Or was it his right? I forgot really." The man continued, he spoke so calm for such a personal topic it baffled the princess.

"Wait a minute... Asugi?" She guessed only to confirmed with a nod.

"Yup, good guessing there, princess. Despite how close our families are, we rarely got the chance to meet. Pops could barely face you royal types after his blunder. Poor guy still blamed himself to the end." He mused, Cordelia still could not make heads or tails of his behavior. "Oh it's Gaius now by the way."

"Gaius, huh. How did you get here?" She asked immediately, only for him to answer with a shrug. A silence passed afterward, the only sound to be heard was the descent of the vultures. All of which found ample sustenance amongst the casualties. "What is it that you want from me?" She finally spoke.

A grin crossed his face, "Nothing much really, though I do have some news for ya. Only I need for you to sweeten the deal before I tell ya, catch my drift?" His playful chucked disturbed Cordelia, but his reputation preceded him.

From a pouch along the side of the pegasus, she retrieved a bundle of sugar cubes. Gaius expression showed some disappointment, but he eventually caved and swiped them from her hand promptly. "Alright, a deal's a deal. I think I know how we can get back."

 **I hope you enjoyed the new chapter. I was working on other works and got busy with work, buuut it's here now. Please leave your thought or feelings, is there anything you would like to see in the future?**


	4. Campsite

**Author's Note: I'm terribly sorry about not updating at all. Regardless, I finally present to you a new chapter. As always, this fan fiction is rated T due to violence and the possibility of suggestive themes. As always, you can review and ask any questions or provide critique. I will more than likely respond back to any feedback.**

"You have got to be kidding me."

"What?" Robin asked groggily, unaware of what drew the woman's ire. His dark eyes wandered the mess of his tent all the way to meet her scarlet irises, a yawn all the while escaped his mouth. "Is something the matter, Cordelia?"

"This place… it's a complete mess." Her accusation looked to sting the tactician, who stumbled out of his cot. "I came here to help take inventory, but this—this is just chaos. That settles it. I will help clean up your pigsty." A dumbfounded look replaced the carefree expression that Robin once had.

"Now, now, Cordelia, it is not an issue. You should—you can, uh, get to training. I can handle things just fine." He said, though it was evident he failed to ease her from the course. The pale gauntlets snatched books strewn about on the floor.

"Nonsense. Has Lady Maribelle not taken issue with this before my recruitment?"

"Well you see, this mess sort of formed earlier last night." Robin sheepishly supplied, beads of sweat raced down his brow in fear of the redhead's reaction. "I swear I was going to clean it up after supper." The poor man waved his hands out defensively.

"Whatever could have prompted—oh gods, I should have known. It's no problem, tactician." It was only then that it dawned on the pegasus knight. Every literature scattered across the floor and makeshift desk related to strategies and geography, Plegian to be precise. Cordelia bit down on her lip, a sour taste came to mind as grim news replayed in her head. While nothing was official yet, the exalt and her captain's departure was spelled out in bad omens. Everyone in the camp knew the dastard king would not take too kindly to Lady Emmeryn's attempt to peacefully parlay. "I apologize by my rude behaviors."

"It is completely understandable, Cordelia. I was nodding off around the time you came to check in. I've yet to look away from these scrolls. It's just… I worry for Chrom's sake. And in the chance matters take a turn for the worse, I must be equipped to strategize." His determination caused the redhead to wince, rather reminiscent of his behavior on the battlefield.

"Agreed, I will do everything in power to assist him, even if it means helping you manage clutter." The woman's attention fell back on the tent. Stacks of books stood up to her waist. Robin's parchments littered the entirety of the floor, enough so to fool the common into thinking that it was a carpet. Ink blotches found themselves in many of odd places, ranging from the tactician's face to the shelter's ceiling. Her nose crinkled in annoyance, but the task was not impossible.

"By the way, you mentioned how you were going to take inventory." Robin curiously turned to catch her face. Rather than dwell on the man's quizzical stare, she stood tall and resolute.

"I feel it appropriate to be on top of these facts. We must always vigilant when it comes to medical supplies. Take for instance the scratch you received earlier in the battle, I managed to maintain your supply of salve." She flashed him the bottle, likely purchased before leaving Ylisstol. "I guessed that you were preoccupied in your escape to be exact on how much supplies you brought with you. Judging by your expression, I surmise my hunch was correct."

"Could not be further from the truth in fact!" He chirped out happily. "The cut was starting to sting earlier." Robin confessed, a look of relief and disbelief hid behind his embarrassment. In response, she placed the vial in her comrade's palm.

"While I had yet to join until yesterday, my guess was that medical supplies would come in practical regardless. Not one to take chances, I have begun to survey the entire camp to see what we lack. I've already had lengthy conversations with numerous members of the brigade on what is lacking." She informed methodically, as if the task was mere routine.

Robin's eyes widened to the news. "You said the entire?!" His face turned beet red as he realized he spoke aloud. Once he maintained his cool again, he displayed a form of gratitude by muttering his appreciation. "Anyways, I am quite impressed, Cordelia. I do not know many others willing, let alone able, to take inventory of everything. I do not see any paper in your possession either. Please don't tell you are creating a mental checklist of sorts."

Cordelia giggled, unable to remain stoic when showered with praise. "You would be correct actually."

Robin joined her enthusiasm with his own bout of chuckling. "Oh my, it is no wonder why people call you a genius." The uttering of the final word caused the woman to twitch. Melancholy replaced merry as a flashback played back in her mind.

 _"That's my Caeldori for you. A real genius! You make your father very proud."_

"… Can you please not call me that."

Robin's eyes narrowed, seemingly taken aback by the weak voice. "Oh gods, I'm sorry about that. I knew not that you took offense to the name."

"No, no, it's just—it reminds me of… it is how my fellow pegasus knights used to mock me." Cordelia was being truthful in her excuse. However, the transgression left her more shaken than agitated. The redhead knew that she was by no means an actress, yet prayed for Robin not to pry. "They all called me 'Little Lady Genius,' using it as a taunt and tease. It was not just my aptitude either. They picked on my appearance too, and how I used my lance. It just—never mind that, please." Repressed emotions showed themselves in her stuttering. Unbeknownst to even herself, the insults ate her greatly. The crimson hair was the only thing left of her mother, much in the same way that her techniques were also a last reminder of her kingdom.

"I knew not that your fellow knights could be so brutal." His concern caused Cordelia to flinch. The gesture was unordinary enough, yet his body language spoke far more than meager words. Every detail of his body looked dead set on expressing his concern. "I only called you... that, because I have to utmost respect for you."

"It is fine, Sir Robin. I just—need some time, to myself. I can be very sensitive when it comes to certain matters, please do not think lowly of me for that."

"Absolutely not, I value you as a member of the Shepherds. I want you to know that you can talk to me whenever." Cordelia's eyes caught Robin's face turn a smidge, his face now slightly reddened.

"I will think on your offer." Before she departed from the tent, her body stopped itself. "You should not worry yourself too much. I am sure with you and Chrom working together there will be no issues that can hamper you. You can unquestionably defeat Gangrel, just do not stress yourself out too much." And with that, the flap opened and closed behind her. A last glimpse of Robin displayed to her that her ramblings influenced him. Had Cordelia stayed a moment longer, she would have known with certainty.

"Quite the speech there, Red."

"Gaius!" Cordelia growled in complete shock. "What in Naga's name do you want?"

"No greetings or even a hug? Eh, it's to be expected I guess. I take so much abuse." The ginger feigned hurt, though in actuality suppressed a happy-go-lucky grin.

"Enough with the jokes." She said dismissively. Much to the thief's chagrin, Cordelia had no intentions of playing along to the jokes. Her foot stomped on the ground impatiently, a sign of her growing aggravation. "Can you not see that the situation is dire right now?"

"I know, I know. I'm only here since you didn't give me any follow-up earlier. I literally told ya that I knew of a way back! You did not bat an eye, what gives?" The redhead grimaced after the thief rose his voice. Her eyes scanned the nearby, fortunately not a single soul paid attention to his inquiry.

"Gaius, be quiet. I do not need people knowing about my past. Follow me." Her hand tugged the grown man through the campsite. Some whispers occurred in response, yet none of it seemed to phase Cordelia. It was not until they reached some distance before her grip began to loosen. "You may continue."

"As I was saying… What's the big deal? Are you not fazed by anything?" His accusation caused her blood to boil even more, her teeth grinded against one another.

"Of course what you said surprised me, but did it not occur to you that there may not be a Hoshido to return to?!" She finally snapped back, to which caused Gaius to quiet. "I saw the entire kingdom unravel! Nohrian reinforcements showed up too, yet the tide of battle did not change. My father is dead. My mother may very well be dead too. Why in the Dawn Dragon's name would I wish to go back to that world?!" Her fury barely sated by the long outburst. The nature around them barely able to return back to its original rhythm.

"I'm sorry, princess. I… didn't know that. It's just that… I was brought here before things went to hell." All of what she said was news to the thief, whose lollipop plummeted to the ground. "Some man pushed me through a- portal, next thing I know I'm in Ylisse. Ever since then, I've been here… I trying to search for such a gateway each and every day."

"I too entered a strange portal to get here as well. However, I have spent my time making a life for myself here." Behind all her chiding, she truly felt for her compatriot. The grim news still haunted her, despite the many of years that passed.

"Do you know what happened to my father?" Gaius finally pressed, that had caught the pegasus knight off guard.

"I never saw him on the battlefield if that's what you're wondering. Since he is a highly skilled ninja after all, there is a chance he could be alive. However, I still advise you to stay here. Other than the war we find ourselves in now, it is not safe in our homeland. It would be a pity to see you die a foolish death. You are a Saizo after all. There is a reason why your family was casted to be mine's protectors." Her offhanded compliment ignited in the ginger, a large smirk appeared on the man's face.

"You're damn right! I ain't gonna die to the likes of anyone. I bet that Gangrel fellow is just as much a chump like the brigands I've felled." He pursed his lips briefly, his attention placed back on the royal. "Don't you dare start calling me Saizo though! Asugi or Gaius is preferred."

"Very well." She muttered in compliance. "It has been nice clarifying matters and all, however I would like the time to rest before the march to Regna Ferox." With that, she departed from their isolated patch. She cared little for whatever intel the thief possessed, her point was made after all. Instead of returning to her bed, Cordelia instead opted to satisfy another thought that plagued her mind.

Upon her navigation of the site, she finally settled on the largest structure, the insignia of Naga was the prominent detail. Cordelia's hand pushed past the flap. Out of curiosity, she peered in. To call what Robin's station disheveled would be a joke in comparison to the prince's, her eyes remained agape at the broken training swords to the ruined dummies.

"Oh, Cordelia!"

"Gah!" The otherwise dignified woman yelped out. "Prince C-Chrom!" Utterly taken by surprise, the redhead mustered no words. "How are you feeling? I was… I was wondering when we will move out."

"I am doing well. There is a lot to contemplate lately, as such some sparring makes for an excellent break. And you? You look a tad red, it would be a shame if you caught a cold. As for the departure, preparations will begin shortly. Frederick expects that we can mobilize by noon. The trek will not be too difficult as we are only meeting the Feroxi around the border wall. As time is of the essence when it comes to news, it is important that we remain near Ylissean soil." The woman continued to nod. Although she was absorbed in his attention, she knew better than to be distracted.

"That makes sense, milord." It was all that came out. Her emotions caused her to feel tongue-tied, some struggle to respond to the blue-blood.

"Say, Cordelia?"

"Y-Yes." She responded happily.

"I know that you came to approach me on business, but there is something that has been on my mind as of late. Is there any way I can speak with you on it?"

"Of course, Lord Chrom." She said without a beat.

"Well here's the matter," Chrom tapped his finger to his own head, likely found trouble in his phrasing. "Lately, Sumia has been presenting me a number of pies." Cordelia's heart sank to the man's mention of her friend. "Do you know why she's continued to give me so many? I asked Robin and Lissa, and both just laughed at me outright." Her mind was racing at that moment, unable to give a coherent answer.

"I'm sure it's her way of showing you her appreciation, nothing more." She returned casually, though guilt ate away at her for even misconstruing her best friend's attempt. Had she been in a better mood, she might have been more considerate. The conversation with Robin and Gaius took their tolls on her mental state.

"That's good, for a second I thought there was something that I was missing. I guess I'm not as daft as Maribelle makes me out to be." The prince chuckled happily. Cordelia supplied her own nervous giggle to his relief. Instead of remaining, she slunk away in Chrom's moment of euphoria. She neither had the heart to correct him or stay around to listen to what else he had to say. She cursed herself for even approaching Chrom rather than doing what her body demanded of her. Last night's slumber did not come easy; the loss of comrades was far too reminiscent of the hellish landscape that loomed over her childhood nightmares.

If only for just an hour, Cordelia was owed some time for rest. The cot invited her into a warm embrace and placated her worries. Both eyes eventually shut. She had no dreams or nightmares. Whatever the reason was, the redhead for once attained a peaceful nap. Her thoughts drifted to the three conversations, then into the previous day's events. Amongst it all, Robin's offering reoccurred to her. A meek smile emerged on her face before she fell into the unconscious.

"… Cor…Are…Awake…?" She pivoted her body to face away from the sound.

"Corde… Get… Now…" Once again, the urge to resist overpowered her groggy mind.

"Cordelia, it's time to get up!" A loud voice finally snapped her from the almost comatose state. Her eyes shot to the source of the voice, it was Sumia to whom awoke her. "Come on, we've been packing things for a little while now. It is not like you doze off."

"I apologize; last night I did not exactly get much sleep." Out of everyone, the pegasus knight felt herself most genuine to her fellow flier. "Why did you not wake me up sooner if that is the case?" She asked while fighting back a yawn.

"It is no problem, I just found it a little peculiar. I let you sleep in for that reason. There was probably good reason why you needed the cat nap." As Sumia responded back, Cordelia took to packing her possessions. "It looks like I was correct after all." In no time at all, the shelter was no more. "Gosh, I cannot remember a time when you would rest. You are always so orderly."

"I was only dueling with unpleasant thoughts, it's nothing unnatural."

"That is what worries me. You have a knack for suppressing your feelings. It took years before you even opened up to me, granted you held back on a number of details. It bothers me when you shut yourself off." Her genuine sympathies resonated with the redhead, yet some force held her back from spilling anything else of her anguish.

"I am not completely holding it in. Robin suggested I can go to him." It was at that point Cordelia realized the error in her thinking, practically confessed that she placed more trust in Robin. Her desperate glance looked to Sumia, ready to justify her reasoning. Instead of any negative reaction, an interesting emotion colored Sumia's face. It was as if the brunette heard the juiciest of gossip.

"You're talking to Robin, eh? He's certainly a charmer, both considerate and a good looker too no less." The other pegasus knight giggled playfully to thought, to which Cordelia only became flustered.

"It's not like that!" Had she the courage, Cordelia could have pledged her love toward Chrom outright. Yet such a fantasy of Robin played out in her mind briefly, a frown soon manifested in response to her friend's antics.

"I was only teasing. Besides, I know why you would trust him. That man is someone we all share a certain attribute with. There is a warmness to him that I can hardly explain. While Chrom has a regality around him, Robin shows both wisdom and curiosity. Even if you do not see him that way, I suggest you keep an eye on him." Once Sumia concluded her thought, she marched off to her own mount. Cordelia all the while looked a tad dumbstruck by the exchange. Her eyes caught onto the familiar dark cloak, the words that her friend just said continued to echo.

"She's not wrong." The redhead finally admitted to herself. "However, I do not think he, or anyone else for that matter, can handle my secrets. I hate to admit it though; the idea is very tempting."


	5. The Grimleal

**Author's Note: Normally, I would not be so quick with the next chapter. However, this is penance for not updating in months before. As always, the disclaimer still stands. Be sure to read and review, any feedback is more than appreciated.**

"Exalt Emmeryn… It must be hard on Prince Chrom for sure." Sumia whimpered out, still audible despite how merciless winds weathered the flying duo. "For his sake and Lady Lissa's, we must hurry." Cordelia nodded in concurrence to the sentiment. Briefly, her gaze fell on the other rider's glove that just moments prior struck their sovereign.

"We will succeed; you need not worry yourself. Robin and Chrom prepared a surefire strategy." Her attempt at soothing her friend was hardly effective, especially since how half-hearted the message came out. It kept being made more apparent to her. Whether it was their battlefield cohesion to the romantic antics, the fact of the matter was how strong of a bond Sumia shared with her crush. It was no shock to see their cooperation in this war bridged any awkwardness that was once there. However, the blatant reminders drove Cordelia to madness. A pang of jealousy hit her after she saw even the dignified khans commentate on the budding romance.

"Did you see him though? He looked positively scared. I cannot imagine what he must be going through right now." The phrasing the brunette chose could not have been painstaking to listen to. The flier knew all too well this experience. Not the exact scenario per se, but the potential loss of a dear family member was a matter she understood greatly. In some ways, she saw her mother in Emmeryn. Although Queen Hinoka was spoken of to be tomboyish, the Hoshidan-Nohrian War matured her to adopt a peaceful stance; many said it was exceedingly similar to her grandmother's philosophy.

"I know what it is like to lose someone precious to me. So if I can keep walking forward, I'm sure that Chrom could run onward. He is very admirable for that trait. That said, I still standby that he and Robin will rescue her grace." Between sniffles, Sumia looked back on her childhood friend with a profound expression.

"If we were not a great distance from the ground, I would hug you right now." Both women laughed at the thought. Even if her love was weighing heavy on her mind, her camaraderie remained intact. While it was not spoken aloud, they had the decency to recognize themselves as rivals in love, comrades, and friends.

"I know, let us first to defeat Gangrel." Her eyes squinted initially before widening to take in the new scenery. "Look, the desert is already insight." Just as she made her observation, low and behold a vast sea of sand stood before them. It was Cordelia's first time visiting Plegia, or any country similar in environment. Hoshido itself was extremely fertile, comprised mostly of plains and forest. On trips she had to Nohr, it was more so wastelands than sandy plains. The girl could not help but momentarily gawk at the view.

"Oh my, not too much further then!" The winds began to die down once the two dropped from their high altitude. Due to the lack of hills or forests, there was no need to survey from such a height any longer. "You know, Cordelia, it has been so long since we have been alone together. After you joined up with the pegasus knights and I volunteered into the Shepherds, we hardly had the chance to speak. Only around birthdays did we ever see one another. Each year, you hardly changed. I always noticed that you put up such a strong front."

"A strong front?" Cordelia asked bewildered by the connotation. "Are you implying that I am not resilient?"

"Not at all, yet you have always had a very… trying view of the world. If anything went wrong, you could fix it. Normally, it was no big deal, like when my father needed assistance in shopping or when mother required an extra hand when cooking. As time went on, you slaved away at improving yourself. If anything went wrong, the reason why it did to you was because you did not do a perfect job. What I am struggling to say is… You always place too much of a burden on yourself. You have acted like that ever since we first met." Cordelia took in her friend's confession. She struggled to believe that she was such an open book. "I am telling you this now because I do not want to see you get yourself hurt."

"I am very careful. I would not make such an error." Her retort fell on deaf ears.

"It is not just you that this speech is directed to. You should know that Robin has a similar fault too. Ever since we first fought together at the Longfort, I knew then that his strategies caused himself an endless amount of grief. Once he discovered that I very nearly entered an archer's flurry in one the Risen skirmishes, the poor man was lowered his head and loudly declared his mistake. People around us took his actions jokingly, even Chrom chalked up Robin's action to be almost comical. Yet, I knew that his words were serious. Cordelia, be considerate of me and the others, don't outstretch yourself." The cautionary tale caused the redhead to look at the landscape in a new light. It was in her interest to comply to Sumia's demand.

"I promise; I will not get myself into danger." For a brief moment, she allowed for the moment to sink in. "I do wonder… why is it that you know Robin so well?"

A series of giggles came in response to her question. "You will know in due time. Everyone understands that oddball in some way. Although Chrom is the commander, it is apparent that Robin is the glue that binds us all. And besides, he is cute, but I still have my eyes for another." Before the opportunity to respond came, figures began to show in the distance. A number of Plegians skulked the sands, very nearly threatened the local villages. Their garb was not matching the profile of the Plegian army, yet all combatants carried standard weaponry. "You ready, Cordy?"

"Please do not start calling me that again." She sighed, before pegasus's descent quickened.

"Everyone!" Robin bellowed out, all units surrounded the single man. "Stahl, Sully, and Frederick, you three will remain in the rear. Miriel, you and Vaike will take the soldier to the west. Ricken, Virion, and Panne will go save the eastern village. Chrom, you and Sumia can lead the charge, save the girl. The remaining infantry will follow from behind to secure the position. Maribelle, you will tail Ricken. Lissa, you will follow the main force." After each command, said individual scattered took their position. In Cordelia's eyes, it was as if she witnessed a symphony at work. It was mesmerizing. "Cordelia," her name prompted now.

"Y-yes?" She stuttered out, after she realized she spaced out.

"I need you to assist me in saving the western village." It only made sense that she would be tasked to play carrier. The desert restricts most movement types. Ricken and Miriel were given leadership roles in this battle due to the convenience of magic. The only gripe she had was why Robin decided on her rather than Sumia.

Since the idea of letting the thought swelter in her mind sounded aggravating, Cordelia took the initiative on the matter. "May I ask, why am I the one to ferry you there? Would it not be wiser to rely on Sumia with that task? She has proven her worth to you already on numerous occasions." Her reasoning was sound, enough so to hide her true feelings. In her eyes, Robin looked to be none the wiser of her position. Despite how much credit she gave him, Cordelia still viewed the commander as a simpleton outside of his position as tactician.

"You would be right, though her talents are better suited ensuring our leader's safety. While I am an asset, it is important that Chrom's life always be placed first. Not to mention, there was more to my rationale than just credibility. Your skills with a lance make you vital in combat. Sumia may arguable be a better flier, hypothetically, but you show greater promise when it comes to a pure battle. I will need your assistance since it will be only us who are to secure the village." His unwavering confidence in her abilities left Cordelia speechless. His argument was both sound and played off of her strengths.

"I see…" Her pegasus fluttered, the wings outstretched to reveal the entirety the mount. Ylissean pegasi were notorious for being selective in their riders, yet males could mount the winged horse so long as a female was the pilot. Once on, feathers littered the former clearing. The pegasus soared harshly toward the intended destination. The sudden jerk did not affect Cordelia, the same could not be said about Robin. His face turned indigo as soon as the horse left the ground. The sickly sight of the miserably tactician caused the redhead to let out a small chuckle. She held no—maybe some ill will towards Robin, but his sudden altitude sickness was something that she did not expect.

"Oh Naga, why did I think this was a good idea?" For once, she saw past all her preconceived notions of him. Whether it was some leech who crawled his way into Chrom's life or the eccentric strategist, the man behind her was, for lack of a better word, ordinary. For the longest time, she held the people she met to standard of her saviors. Chrom, Sumia, and Phila all saved her from an abysmal fate. Everyone else in her life never had an influence on her, and as such became irrelevant. The attribute she saw in Robin was not motivation or nothingness. He was both respectable and a goof. Cunning and aloof. Bold and brash. This revelation opened her eyes to life outside of the melancholy. A small fit of laughter took her, as if she was unable to process what took place.

"Have you not rode on a pegasus before?" Cordelia finally asked after she suppressed the snicker.

"This is a first actually, well first that I can remember to clarify." He admitted once the mount landed.

"You should get used to it as soon as you can. Who knows how many more battles you will have to be aboard my steed? It never hurts to be adjusted." It dawned on her then. While she hated to admit to the truth, she began to see Robin as a friend. Her initial grudge was undeniably juvenile; she could own up to that at least. "I will handle the dark mage."

"That leaves me with the fighter then." In a quick motion, his body lunged forward. The iron sword he held flung itself toward the lowlife's chest. Unfortunately, the burly man responded fast enough to block with his axe. Due to the full brunt of the attack, the metal of larger weapon was scarred. Angered by the fact, the fighter swung back at the tactician. Cordelia stared in awe as the smaller of the two narrowly dodged the strike and countered with a spell. Unbeknownst to her, a blast of wind magic very nearly swept her away.

Her head snapped toward the opponent, heart pounded against her chest nervously. The air tome was a bane to the Ylissean fliers. Due to a misfortunate error, her otherwise advantage turned to weakness. Rather than fall back on her comrade's assistance, the redhead pressed onward. Her steel pike jabbed toward the mage's body, but was only able to leave a minor laceration. His retort was a second round of gale. Had she been further from the ground, the fall she experienced would be near fatal. The fact of the matter remained that the lady was separated from her mount.

The tome's advantage eliminated now, but Cordelia still had the disadvantage in the fight. Much like how cavalier depended on the horse's movements, a pegasus knight too acted in coordination to their beast. No rhythm to be had, the battle held no certainties. That was until a bolt of lightning lit up the dark mage. "Cordelia!" The lady's head shifted back to face an exasperated Robin.

"I apologize for my failings. I could have handled the situation if you allowed-" before she could finish her thought, the man snapped back at her.

"You should not have gone up against him." His voice was unnerving now. "It was my mistake for not recognizing that he carried a wind tome. As such, I do not want you risking your life on account of my error." She knew that he made sense. She understood his reasoning and guilt. She empathized with his sentiments. However, her hand still bitterly struck his face. A red glow replaced where she slapped him.

"Stop. It was _my_ mistake. It was _my_ choice. Do not go acting like I am some chess piece to you! I know… I know what I did was wrong. I wanted to be useful, only to end up being a liability. Instead of blaming yourself… you should scold me for my mistake." Her unrelenting reply caused the man to become taciturn.

"You are right." He spoke out after a minute of silence. "Your recklessness will not go without punishment. For that reason, you will report to me after the battle is over and talk about what is wrong. After our conversation during the preparations to Regna Ferox, you spoke about how you faced bullying from your fellow soldiers. That might just be why you behaved the way you did earlier." The redhead mused at how intuitive the tactician could be, even if his theory was mostly incorrect. Rather than dwell on his misstep, she was contrarily impressed by his care. Had it been Phila, the chores would be endless.

"That sounds… perfect." She muttered out, to which caused Robin to grow a large grin.

"Great, I think it best that you see to the villagers. I will meet up with Chrom and the others." He announced. Before Cordelia even had the chance to show to argue the matter, there was nothing left but sand clouds.

"That silly man, I can see why Sumia has so much to say about him." It took only moments to ease the Plegian residents. None of them held much of a grudge toward Ylisse. The common gripe was that many of sons and daughters were taken for the war effort, all of which negatively targeted Gangrel's regime. "I was so caught in his closeness to Chrom that I overlooked another reason I could have envied him. Outside of the battlefield, he is undoubtedly warm and approachable. Could it be that amnesia? I cannot deny that forgetting everything is tempting. Not a day goes by when I imagine that faithful day. The worst of it all was… her. That girl. How tragic a fate, I do not know why she was different than the other losses. However, when I saw her face… it made me feel so… miserable." Her monologue only directed to herself. The quirk was considerably strange that Cordelia knew well, but there were few options when it came to unloading the unpleasant thoughts. She could approach Gaius, though his company always turned out to be irritating.

"So sad to see pretty lady look so troubled." A gruff voice said, her scarlet eyes locked onto him. To her backside, there stood a middle-aged man. The man's ginger hair spiked upwards, a paler color than Gaius's but the number of gray strands were hard to notice. She was quick to draw on her lance, but the man was quicker. The large hand took hold of her wrist. "Easy there, Gregor is with you." Considering his other hand was in the air and the other kept her weapon at bay, the pegasus knight took his word at least for now.

"Wait a minute, you were the one chasing around the little girl." Her accusation visibly stung the older gentleman.

"Please calm, Gregor's heart can only take so much. You misunderstand. Gregor saved the little one, then was promptly chased by former boss's goons." He gestured backward to show how none of the Shepherds did not bat much of an eye towards the mercenary. "I am only a sellsword."

"Why aren't you with the others then?" Her sharp response did not affect Gregor as it had prior.

He flashed a large smile. "Well, Gregor could not leave a lady alone to herself. Poor thing must be… how you say, dueling with one's thoughts. Gregor understands your expression, because it is very familiar. Everyone has troubles at some point in life. The only way to get better is either mother's special borsht or talking."

"I will be fine." Her dismissive attitude was not directly at the mercenary, but nonetheless she returned back to her old habits. "And besides, it looks like the battle is over now. I would _hate_ to keep you occupied." Her emphasis on the word hate was more than apparent to the burly man, who only took her comment lightly. After one last shrug, the man returned to the prince's audience. Due to the interruption, Cordelia herself lost the heart to continue to blabber her mind to the empty surroundings.

Her body shifted itself to face toward the frightful mount. Her hand slowly brushed against the mane to ease the creature. In short time, she was back atop the saddle from which she fell. Just as the winged steed calmed, so too did everyone return back to the long march. The citadel was not far and daylight was precious, especially when Emmeryn's execution was expected to transpire soon.

As to strain her companion, the winged horse took to the trotting alongside the caravan. "Mind if I catch a ride now?" A now tired Robin begged the redhead, to whom let out a small giggle.

"I thought you did not wish to ride on a pegasus again." She jokingly responded.

"To be fair, I only began to curse after your mount took flight. I am just fine with a slow trudge." Regardless of his reasoning, it would be unwise if the pegasus were to support two people. After all, it was to be a long day. The next battle would be staged in Gangrel's castle.

"Since there is time now, you can get begin the penance." Her reminder immediately registered on Robin's face, the epiphany quickly turned to stoicism.

"If that is what you wish, I would like to hear more of why you can be so careless. For someone with so much talent, there must be more to your story. You know you can trust me, truly." His insistence caused her tense up, his attention caused the girl's cheeks to light up.

"It is just as I told you last time. Whenever someone called me genius it was used mockingly. Since I was on my own, I had to rely on my own skills to succeed."

"Is that all?" He slowly veered closer to her. She had not expected for the man to show so much intimacy when it came to a punishment. The distance between them and his kind words caused her some uneasiness.

"You… you do not want people getting the wrong idea." Her eyes glanced around to the fellow compatriots, none of which alerted by the conversation. Her sudden change in emotions befuddled Robin, who equally became flustered.

"And what would people think…?" He too began to feel nervous, despite how he did not grasp her meaning.

"That we are friends." While she began to grow closer to the tactician, so too did her worries start to fall on their relations. The combination of the isolation she suffered amongst the pegasus knights and the last days of Hoshido kept her distant. It was not her inability to make friends, if anything Sumia was a living contradiction to the theory. Instead, she stressed herself over making new bonds. Paranoia told her that people would either come to hate Robin over their closeness or that he too would leave her prematurely.

"What?!" Surprisingly, nobody paid much mind to the man's sudden outburst. "I mean, what's wrong with that? Aren't we already friends?" His question seemingly caught her off-guard. Upon the short time that she sorted her emotions, Cordelia discovered an unshakeable happiness. Her superiors teasing still rung in her ears, but that hardly changed the moment.

"T-truly? I'm so glad." Her ecstatic behavior puzzled the white-haired man.

"Why would you think we weren't?" He finally asked.

"Well, it's just that… the other pegasus knights usually left me alone, mostly because I was the youngest of the contingent. I guess… I got used to being a loner." In retrospect, it was more than just the odd appearance and strange mannerisms that caused such a cold treatment, nor was it that she became accustomed to the solitary lifestyle either. Rather, her attitude was ample reason to her compatriots to torture her so. When she looked back on that distant memory of her and Chrom's first meeting, her icy demeanor was apparent to everyone; yet no one knew why she was so detached. It was an endless cycle. She would meet new faces, and then they would never truly understand her. It was a fate that she thought she would never escape.

"I'm sorry to hear that." A frown manifest itself on the man's face. "Though, you longer have that excuse. You have friends now and companions that care for you. I am more than sure that Gaius and Chrom both have the utmost appreciation. Gregor too seems to have a good opinion of you." His mention of the mercenary brought momentary joy. It was not her intention to offend, but her behavioral problems could get the better of her. "You can no longer act daringly, especially now that you have a friend in me." A tear dripped from one eye. Her gauntlet was hasty to brush the moisture away before Robin had the chance to notice.

"Thank you, Robin." Like the wind itself, she and her pegasus flew on ahead. "It is time we stop Gangrel."


	6. Emmeryn (Part 1)

" _Caeldori, your mother informed me that you wandered off on your own. Castle Shirasagi is your home, but it is unsafe to go off exploring on your own." Subaki chided the nursling, his back straightened to tower over his daughter. His arms remained cross as to show the severity of her actions. To the young one, she already knew by his tone that he was not pleased, though the mannerisms he displayed continued to add to the guilt. The man's brows narrowed, likely a show of his concern. The whole palace was in a roar after the princess went "missing."_

" _I'm s-sorry, papa!" Her wailing did little to ease her father's tensions. I just—couldn't help myself. Whenever a guard or maid is assigned to me, they always walk to slowly or seem so preoccupied."_

" _That is because they are looking out for your wellbeing. You are Hoshido's only child. To everyone in this kingdom, you are a beacon of hope. People believe that once you grow up, we will start to forget about the war and move toward a new era. I know it was thrusted upon you, but as your father I will do anything to make you happy." The kind grin he gave was almost deceiving._

" _Then why are you scolding me?" Caeldori countered, to which her father's response to ruffle her hair. Her scarlet eyes looked up to face him, afraid of what caveat he had instore._

" _I am still your papa, remember. If anything, I would get even more worried if you suddenly disappeared. I am telling you this, because you must mind your environment. While Shirasagi is within your mother's domain, it is large and difficult to manage. I fear the possibility of someone sneaking through the courtyard and taking you."_

" _I can take them out if they even try. I know how to wield a naginata just like you." Her tiny cheeks puffed up as she protested his claim._

" _You are so much like your mother." He chortled out, for some he found humor in her stubbornness. "Even now, she still insists on a minimalistic security, simply because she of her service during the war." Subaki took a somber note as his laughter finally died down. "Don't blame your mother for being reprimanded, she may not be around much for you. However, you should know that she cares greatly for you. She is only so preoccupied because of her duties. It is so much easier to maintain war than it is to maintain peace." The redheaded girl knew her father to be right. While she could not deny a distance between her and the other parent, she never resented her mother. If anything, she learned from her._

" _I understand, papa. And," she twiddled her thumbs, "I am sorry about wandering off." Although her apology was reluctant, the princess held herself to her own word._

" _As long you learned your lesson not to get yourself lost, I think I can look the other way on an actual punishment." Both happily beamed to the statement. Caeldori grateful to her father, and Subaki's weakness for his daughter._

"It is not as big as Ylisstol, but that is one palace." Sumia muttered in surprise at the sight, her pegasus came to a halt now once the castle was in near.

"It is relatively large." Cordelia commentated; she was about near to uttering a similar phrase as Sumia, only to instead make the comparison to her childhood home. Fortunately, she managed to catch herself. Those sort of slip ups seemed to come easier nowadays. It was fairly apparent what the cause of this shift in attitude was. As of late, the redhead hardly had a friend to name with the exception of the fellow pegasus knight. New friends in the form of Robin, and to some extent Gaius and an even lesser to Gregor. Her brief exchange with the mercenary opened her mind at least to the idea.

"Look sharp, this battle is where it all counts." Robin interjected into the conversation, his eyes guided onto the pavilion. "Our objective is to off General Campari."

"What are our assignments, Robin?" Ricken was the first to speak up.

"I already have a decent idea of how the battle will turn out. On our march to the castle, I had Cordelia and Sumia get a good look of the surroundings. As it stands now, we have evaded the majority of Gangrel's forces. The amount that is left are amongst his elites. However, you should not be deceived by the ground forces littered around the walls. There is a wyvern stable not far from our location. Once we make ourselves known, those riders will be on top of us in no time. For that reason, it is imperative to create a vanguard and rear guard."

Cordelia basked in his reasoning. While his personality had its faults, it was no surprise he was tasked as the Shepherd's tactician. Her lance was already at her side, the anticipation of her orders was eating at her. After her disgrace in the prior scuffle, redemption sounded very tempting.

"As it stands now, time is not on our side. Those wyvern knights will be troublesome. To couple to that, archers line the walls. We have also received word from the church sending us reinforcements. The plan will go as followed… The vanguard will be stalled until we clear through the harsher terrain. For that reason, Chrom will lead the initial charge. The Plegian forces will be primarily focused on his movements. He will act as decoy. Sumia will act as his carrier, as it is their job to meet up with our reinforcements. As our cavalry gains traction, they will clear the path for the main force to rush Campari directly. Chrom, the clergymen, and a small handful will guard our stern. Once the general is slain, the Plegian forces will scatter." He concluded, everyone shared a collective nod.

"Teach is still wondering what are our jobs." Vaike this time interrupted. His crass behavior was unsightly to the pegasus knight, but she tried to give the man the benefit of the doubt. The interactions shared between the fighter and Robin always looked to be rather positive.

"I was getting to that. As for roles," Robin listened out the names. No one seemed to complain, with the exception of Virion's distaste in the lack of women in the rear guard. "Cordelia, you will be with the decoy division then regroup with me after the archers are eliminated." She could not complain over the arrangements. With an affirmative nod, Robin smirked then turned to the next person. "Now, Shepherds… Let us save, Lady Emmeryn." The white-haired man's gaze fell on the now ruling khan. With a solemn nod, her grin grew to a sizable length. In an instant, she and a handful of Feroxian warriors assembled.

"It will be a piece of cake." To nobody's surprise, Gaius was the first to react to her words. Cordelia only chuckled at the thief's silliness, despite the serious undertones that sieged her mission. Once a few minutes passed, the executioner begun to dangerously get closer to the exalt. Rather than the sage plummeting, the barbarian's corpse descended downward after he took a short axe to the back of the skull. Flavia's success was echoed around the army, a fact that caused Robin to smirk.

"EVERYONE, NOW!" On que, the militia mobilized toward the citadel. As the tactician predicted, the Plegian guard was practically blindsided. Gangrel's desire for blood was what caused a general assumption a Feroxian led rescue team would be what parlays the soldiers. To see a small detachment of an already miniscule taskforce, it took the Plegian regulars off guard.

A javelin whizzed by, the misfortunate target did not have the chance to see his own mortality. Cordelia knew her task well. It was a matter of quickly dispatching to clear a path for the prince. The coarse sand immobilized the archers from advancing onto the flier. Many of them were felled by the Ylissean mages. Unlike previous skirmishes, there was no time to sympathize or take prisoners to which the sentries lacked the luxury. It was clear that the rival combatants only seemed committed to the battle when it was mere moments from them. It mattered little to Cordelia, or the rest, that their foes were handicapped.

Not to Robin's surprise, a few wyverns reared themselves not soon after. The redhead steered her mount backward; she knew better than to place herself in an unfavorable duel. As the pegasus let the dragon knights air superiority, arrows curtesy of Virion and wind magic of Ricken's doing made quick work. The first wave of Plegians now very nearly eliminated.

"Sumia, it is your turn now." Robin shouted, how he raised his voice that loud was beyond the pegasus knights. Once again, Chrom was lifted aboard the winged horse. "When in location, Chrom, it is your job to defeat the archer. You will have to dual guard Sumia till there is no distance between you and the enemy. Afterward, we will be able to engage our support."

"Understood, Sir Robin!" A happy chirp responded from afar.

"We are so close, I will not back down now. Emm, she's alive and we shall keep it that way." Everyone's attention focused on his closeness to his partner. The clumsiness that once existed around the couple now gone. Her smaller frame leaned against his body. If not her own emotions that gnawed on her better judgement, even Cordelia could admit that the scene was reminiscent of the hero-king and his bride.

A bitter taste coated her mouth as a revelation dawned in her mind. To Sumia, she was his Caeda. To Cordelia, she was his Catria. "Chrom, it is good to see you in better spirits. The news of her execution weighed on your mind these past few days, you were almost a shell of your former self." Sumia confessed happily, to which caused her other to release a sincere chuckle.

"I am not going to deny that I was not tense until now. However, I am just so… I am very glad that matters are going our way. I will not deny either that you too aided in my hour of need." It was then that Cordelia's ears perked. "Those pies, somehow, became a source of positivity for me. I'll admit I was skeptical, rightfully so since it took fifteen attempts… However, your support means much to me."

"Oh, Chrom, you know that it was the least I could do. You work yourself so hard and have the most at stake." Her modesty only caused the prince to double down.

"Nonsense, your sacrifice is dully noted. Everything you have done has kept me sane, whether it be the pastries or just the nightly talks." It was made news to anyone listening in on the conversation.

"Really, captain—I mean Chrom?" Hesitation showed in her voice, it was no doubt that his words meant the world to her. Chrom's charm was very pronounced, despite how he was unable to recognize his ability. The charisma radiated was something anyone could get behind.

"Of course, you have been there for me since the beginning. I still remember how you saved my life at the Longfort. There's no question that you have been invaluable to me." He chuckled out happily, it was equally as noticeable to see his sentiments for her. The Ylissean prince tended to show his emotions on his metaphorical sleeve.

"It was because you allowed me join your cause. As I mentioned last night, I enjoy my life as a soldier. To be exposed to the pegasi and to march at your side, I could not be any happier." A collective blush was shared between the two of them. It was no surprise to anyone that something was in the air.

"I b-believe we still have a battle to win." The other pegasus knight awkwardly interjected, her ulterior motives hidden behind the logic. Not that she did not _appreciate_ the conversation, in fact the whole banter was eye opening.

"Cordelia is correct, you two should start moving. You can save the flirting for the party afterwards." The tactician's voice was very deceptive in the moment. For someone who prided herself on reading people, the redhead instantly detected more to what the man let on.

"I will see you once everything is over, Robin." With one last smirk, the prince and his entourage jetted to the location that the clergymen agreed upon waiting.

"I should get to flying too then." Cordelia suggested, yet she was stopped by an intense look from her dear friend.

He hefted a sigh after a few seconds passed. "I am sorry… it has nothing to do with me. However, I know what you must be going through."

The woman's head tilted in confusion, although she did have an inkling of what he could be alluding to. "What could you possibly mean, Robin?"

"I know about your feelings toward Chrom. And, you did not look too comfortable with their talk moments ago. Even if I cannot do anything to help your attempts at impressing Chrom, I want to at least be an ear for you. You should know… that well… I am not sure how to put this. I would rather wait till the battle is over before I spring the news on you. Does that sound alright? Just stay strong, you are vital for this operation. Anyways, I have taken too much of your time. You should be off."

As she mounted her pegasus and flew off in chase of Chrom, Cordelia's mind was a complete blur. She was unable to process the scene between Sumia and her crush, contrarily she learned so much more of their relationship. To an extent, she even had more to reflect on with herself, particularly how she handled herself around Chrom as opposed to her best friend. Whereas she took a more silent and respectable role, Sumia took an initiative. As many of great clergymen ask, is it faith or works that wins out? As for the other source of discontent, it was what it said about she seemed to depend on Robin's emotional support over Chrom's; despite her iffy stance on his behavior. Not one to ignore her duty, the flier followed suit on pursuit.

To her and the others' surprise, the reinforcements promised were merely just a single war monk. While the clergy boasted a more feminine appearance, his physique was nothing to scoff at. "Lord Chrom, brother to our grace?" The man muttered in a meek voice, grateful to see his sovereign. "It is truly a blessing to see you."

"If you do not mind me asking, who are you? I heard that the clergymen sent a band to support the Shepherds." His thoughts did not mesh well with the blond-haired man, who gave a sullen look.

"I am Libra of the Ylissean clergy. When we heard of your sister's plight, a number of us hurried to stop the execution. Unfortunately, the others… they fell along the way here. I am the last of my contingent." It was very similar, as if Cordelia could reinvasion her recruitment into the militia then.

"I was starting to lose hope that I may die or be unable to rescue Lady Emmeryn." To that point, it was Chrom who empathized. It did not take any special bond to know that the prince voiced similar sentiments prior to the rescue.

"Fret not, we will save her and could use any capable hands. Your love for my sister is clear to me, and I would be more than happy to allow you join our cause." A general feeling of honor was felt across that section of the courtyard. "You truly are a devoted woman." A pin could be heard dropping. Every single person, with the exception of the blue-haired lord, winced.

"Err… Man, my liege. I am a man of the cloth."

The shared thought then was that Chrom would never live this down. Both Sumia and Cordelia noticed the details immediately, reasoned that Libra was male. "I see… So, you are not female. Even if, you have such… never mind."

"… Yes, I am fairly certain I am not a woman. A man cannot be a war cleric." The redhead, and likely the brunette too, both wished he would not continue to dig his own grave.

"I see… I apologize for the mishap."

"It could have been a lot worse, it is better that we cleared this misunderstanding up as soon as possible. Just don't make the same mistake…" Libra awkwardly responded, the air thick enough to be cut with a knife.

"I promise." With nothing more to say, Chrom pivoted himself toward the enemies. His sword pointed itself toward the sky, which slowly began to darken. Robin's prediction held true. Wyverns descended down toward the Ylisseans.

Fortunately, the schedule too was planned accordingly. The infantry was stationed to snipe down the enemy fliers. The cavalry inched itself closer to Campari's location. The only anomaly was the tactician's location. Whereas he said he would be with the vanguard, she did not spot him with any of the riders. It took a minute to recognize that the white-haired man strayed to the south. Rather than challenge the general, he was engaged with a dark mage. A shred of concern willed her to regroup then, despite not receiving the signal that the enemy archers were dealt with.

With great haste, she was more than shocked to see a rather strange discussion instead of a heated battle. "Robin, what a magnificent name." Cordelia's blood boiled to the sight of, for lack of a better word, flirting. One should not spend their time prattling when there is a war to win. To make matters worse, the dark mage bridged the gap between her and the tactician with a shameless embrace.

"Tharja, please. I may have spared your life, but this behavior is certainly not appropriate." His tone was completely flustered, unable to even show how he serious he truly was.

"Very well, if that is what you insist… I suppose I can wait till after the battle is over." It was then that duo of mages noticed the redhead, who looked rather miffed at the exchange.

"Cordelia! W-what are you doing here? I do not believe the signal was raised yet." He could not possibly scold her in his current predicament.

"I saw one of my superiors struggling against a dark mage, so I thought you were in need of aid. However, it looks like I was wrong." A harshness laced her voice, a figurative breeze passed right through the white-haired man. Cordelia struggled to understand her emotions, an unnatural amount of anger shrouded her mind.

It was then that the other female stepped in. Her eyes stared down the redhead intently, only to return her version of normality. "Oh, Robin, we will have plenty to do after we win. As promised, I will aid you falling Campari. However, first his pesky guards must go.

Robin let out an exasperated sigh, before he turned toward the Shepherd's frontline. "Please play nice, we discussed why you did not wish to serve Gangrel; however, not everyone will sympathize with you as I had. Cordelia, I ask that you transport Tharja to my location once the archers are actually gone. Understood?" Back to his senses, he chided the pegasus knight for disobedience. He did not have long to challenge the paragon flier, since his fellow Shepherds were in need of the extra hand. Once gone, it was only the two ladies.

Cordelia felt a tad unnerved by the dark-haired girl's smirk. While the redhead was hushed by the awkwardness, the other seemed completely unbothered. "Cordelia, that is your name?"

"Y-yes." Her eyes now narrowed, unable to tell if Tharja meant any ill will in her seemingly innocent question.

"That name… it is not very Hoshidan."

"I'm sorry, but what was that?"

"However, I recognized that red hair from anywhere. It was only once, but I caught a peek of you while you wandered Shirasagi's courtyard. Quite the coincidence we find ourselves in, eh?" Tharja's tone was offsetting to say the least. The amount she knew of the former princess led her to assume the obvious.

"Who are you?"

"You may call me… Rhajat."

 **Author's Note: As always, please give it a review if you can. Any feedback is greatly appreciated! I also will consider any suggestions as well.**


	7. Emmeryn (Part 2)

"There's the signal. It is time then." Cordelia spoke up, finally the silence was broken between the two women. To say that the redhead was shocked, it would be a complete understatement. A newfound hope welled in her, as two other instances of Hoshidans arriving in Ylisse were known. Surely, the possibility of another could be likely. There were a number of precious people she did not see amongst the dead, particularly her. The queen.

"Not going to catch up for old times' sake?" The taunting nature of her question did not faze the redhead, who merely shrugged off the other's coaxing.

Cordelia's eyes snapped back to lock with the other's pupils. "We have never spoken once before."

"You are not wrong. However, we have crossed paths on an odd occasion. My father after all was an esteemed figure, despite his rather shortcomings. Our tribe while neutral, was a dear ally to your kingdom. After the war ravaged much of the continent, he devoted himself to aiding your mother." As much the exposition was helpful, it was unnecessary at the time.

"Look, I chose to move on from that life. If you are that keen on reminiscing, you can talk with Gaius. But first, we have to defeat Campari like Robin ordered us." Her steed now readied to taxi the dark mage over. The line to the general's defenses was straightforward, only needed the assistance of a mage to crack through the heavy armaments. A job that was made for Robin and Tharja. A harsh pull brought the dark mage to the saddle, then in a quick motion the pegasus descended down on Campari.

The wind produced by the mount's wings did little to shake the steel-clad officer. For the brief moment the animal stalled, the dark mage landed on the limestone softly. A Nosferatu spell blasted out instantly, it caught the man off guard at least. Unfortunately, a counter came with a fine short spear being flung Tharja's way.

In a rapid succession, the weapon was thwarted by a dual guard. In retort, Robin fired out magic from his Elthunder tome. The lightning tore itself through the man's shield, likely was able to singe the skin. "You'll never save your precious exalt, scum." Once again, the short spear readied itself to strike down the general's attacker. Tharja was not quick enough to protect the tactician, nor well-versed enough to recognize that Robin purposefully steeled himself to take a blow had circumstances failed. In no time to spare, the redhead raced to white-haired man's side. Her aid came in the form of sand clouds; tiny particles flew in all directions. Campari let out a frustrated growl as his vision failed him.

Not a chance to waste, Robin sent forth a second round. The bolt curved, in the shape of a hook, into the general's torso. The older man erupted in pain, the attack was a critical success. Without the strength to stand, the heavy armor clanked to the floor. His knee connected to the ground now, he was a surefire target for physical weaponry. To match Robin's great speed, Cordelia's lance shot past the armor and cut through the soft flesh.

"Urgh… Killing me will only… feed Plegia's rage…" His voice soon faded, the general now lay dead. While his blood still fresh, there was no time to spare. Campari's death was just a precursor to the true mission. Plegian forces now completely befuddled, some chose and others simply fled. Chrom, on Sumia's pegasus, reached the mouth of the gate, the other Shepherds raced to the location too.

"The wyverns have been downed, it is about time for Phila's company to step in." All eyes shot to the shadows that soared above them. Emmeryn, from her perch, noticed the royal guard come inbound.

"Phila? When?" The resident pegasus knight asked in surprise.

It was Chrom who answered. "As we stormed the citadel and Flavia dealt with the executioner, we heard word from Basilio that he freed some prisoners, including captain of the pegasus guard. Having the foresight to see this coming, Robin made sure to include a couple pegasi in our caravan to the plaza." The redhead was more than shocked at the tactician's alarming intuition. Regardless, she was more than grateful to see her superior in good health and spirits.

All eyes soon moved from the Ylissean fliers, to a scratchy voice that originated from the castle. "That damned Ylissean tactician never plays fair, calling in those pesky flies. Fortunately, your insight was spot on." A devilish smirk graced his mouth, to which caused both Robin and Chrom's blood to freeze over.

In the blink of an eye, withered archers arose from the sands. Each aimed their bow at a specific knight. "Risen?! Oh gods, no! Phila! Get out of there! Now!" His pleas did not reach the blunette, yet it mattered little. All of them were now ensnared in Gangrel's trap.

"Damnit, not now! We were so close!" Chrom roared out in anger.

To everyone's horror, one by one the women fell from the atmosphere. Phila felled only by a single arrow that jutted right through her chest. The redhead's eyes widened, nostalgia rung in her ears as she imagined her own father's last stand. Had she not been aware of her surroundings, Cordelia might have lurched to the sight. Bright red eyes took note instead of her companion's expression. Robin looked just about, if not more so, distraught than Cordelia. Out of instinct, her hand grasped onto his own, an attempt to comfort the tactician. "P-Phila." That small cry was her means of grieving. The urge to run overtook as it had many years prior. The Ylissean's victory was all but lost.

"No no no…" Robin's distressed look told far more than his words. Whether it was purposefully or not, he broke from her grip. His hands now clasped onto his head.

"It is our defeat…" Chrom too looked crushed.

Gangrel's voice bellowed out to them now. "I believe this is what they call a reversal of fortunes. Now... grovel before me. Plead! Beg for your worthless lives!" The pegasus knight's grip on her lance tightened in pure rage. Whether it was the gloating or the death of her captain, it mattered not to the woman.

"I'd give up my life before I beg for it from you."

"Oh, now THAT is a good line. It is that kind of spirit that makes this so much more enjoyable. I will be sure to use those the epitaph for your tombstone, perhaps? But it's not just your life in the balance. The exalt still stands upon the block. And I have a dozen bows trained on her. All it would take is one word from me..." It was both Sumia and Robin who had the duty of holding Chrom back from unleashing his fury.

"Big sister! We can still win, please!" Despite the plea, Emmeryn's grim expression did not change.

"ARCHERS! If this Ylissean pup so much as twitches, let fly your arrows!" The command caused every single Shepherd to tense up. With no possible escape, everyone was at the mercy of the mad king.

"You're dead!" The prince snarled out fiercely.

"Go ahead! I welcome it. Just know you were responsible for Big Sister's bloody demise!" It was true to an extent. Their failure meant that Emmeryn would die. The guilt seemingly weighed down on Chrom, his rage now absolute despair. "...And what of the rest of you? Eh? Who wants the honor of killing the exalt?" Much like the blue blood, everything reflected a similar sentiment. "...No one? Bah! Your merry band isn't quite so headstrong anymore, is it? Pathetic!"

"Gangrel, you scum! I will kill you if she dies." For whatever reason, Chrom regained his flare once more.

"Then… what if she were not to die? How about this, dear princeling… In exchange for your sweet sister's life, you hand over… your sword and the Fire Emblem, how does that sound?" Cordelia stared dumbfounded at such a scenario, to be given such a choice from the devil no less. She stood firm in that the mad king could not be trusted, yet Chrom was hesitant.

"Chrom, you can't be serious. We can't take his word!" Robin was the one to speak up. "He's just deceiving you."

"Of COURSE I can't trust him! I'm not an idiot! But if I say no, he'll kill her! The gods are cruel, damn them! My sister or my duty... A problem with no right answer, yet I must choose!" Every single body froze, all gazes lingered on the prince. His decision was a choice of life or death.

The tactician instead stepped forward. "Chrom, it is the life of one compared to the life of—" Chrom did not give the logic a chance to be fully iterated.

"Don't you damn well finish that sentence." His cold tone used against an ally was a spectacle that no one wished to see. Emotional distraught and confused, the commander struggled to accept the reality of the situation.

"What's this? You'll let your sister and ruler die, all to save some old family trinket? Oh, so delicious! I can't WAIT to hear what your people have to say about it! 'THE EXALT IS DEAD! LONG LIVE HER MURDERER' Your halidom will collapse before you could even begin your rule... do you not know a shred of politics? Even I in my madness, I know that people do not take kindly to usurper. I give you a once in a lifetime offer. Some hotheaded killer could never achieve what dear ol' sis found difficulty in maintaining. Now, I will give you the count of three. On the one hand, we fight and take those relics from your dead corpse and prolong our war. Or, Emmeryn returns to Ylisstol and bringing all that peace hogwash to your kingdom. Three seconds~!" Chrom was visibly shaking now, even the tactician could not be of much help either.

"I… It's… Everyone lay down—" His sentence was cut off.

Through the use of her own abilities, a voice echoed the entire battlefield. "No wait!" It was the exalt. Cordelia, and everyone else, looked up to the perch once more. "King Gangrel, is there no possibility of talking this out?"

"You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble?! I think not. No, all I want is to hear a THUNK of arrows, and a SPLAT as you hit the ground. Why not have a peek at your surroundings? You can enjoy the view before you die. Can you not see them? The people," his tone then changed to a mocking one, "the precious resource of all kingdoms. These are common soldiers. Had they been born in Ylisse, they might have followed you. However, circumstances made them your enemy. Now have your moment… Then prepare to meet the ground, and your maker! That is, unless if someone were to give me the Emblem... NOW!" His heated glare fell back on the bumbling prince. The silence almost was elongated by the sheer disbelief shared between lord and tactician.

"I'm sorry, Emm. There is no other way. Today, we do not need an old heirloom. We need a leader to guide us. I do not think myself capable enough to match the level of excellency you display." It was a bittersweet smile that showed on his face. Bitter in that he lost, but there was an equal amount of happiness at the fact that his kin would see another day.

A short chuckled sounded from Emmeryn; her magic did its purpose in projecting her voice. "Thank you, Chrom. Your words mean so much to me. I know what must be done now." The prince was now confused, unable to decipher her meaning. "Plegians! What has this war done for you? Has it brought back your dead? Has it erased the dark memories you once had? Did you find prosperity? War brings nothing of the sort. You have only lost your brothers and sisters, and for what? Your hard work has earned you a relic of a forgotten time. I have come to plead for you to lay down your weapons. Ylisse does not wish for you to see blood. Moreover, I love you all of you. Each and every single one of you is a beautiful human being. A possibly diplomat or scholar may be amongst you. In that sense, I love humanity. I love both the people of Ylisse and Plegia. I have little to offer any of you, especially since Gangrel has fated me to die. I do not want pity; all I ask is that you listen to me. For all that is good, you do not need to prolong this pointless bloodshed. Although I said I have nothing to give, I do have an offer."

Chrom's eyes narrowed as it became clear what she meant. "No, no, no…"

"In exchange that you return to your families and live happy lives, I give to you my word and my life. I will make the ultimate sacrifice to you. I am not forcing you to comply, but please consider that I would gladly die if it means convincing you to not kill one another."

"Emmeryn… Emm, NO!" Cordelia's, and everyone else's gaze for that matter, remained stuck on the exalt. Unlike the rest, Chrom was not perplexed by her words. In a mad dash, he rushed to his sister's aid.

No Plegian discarded his weapon. None chose to speak up. Not a single soul found the strength to reply. "No reaction… was I wrong then?" It was the last the exalt muttered, casted to every single observer. Step by step, all eyes widened to her slow movement. Until, there was no space left. "Chrom… This is some torch I'm passing you… Hmph, so be it." Her foot finally raised, only to meet the air below her. The only sound that could be heard was the screams of the young princess, horror etched into her face. "Chrom… Lissa… And all people… Know that I loved you." The echo of her voice vanished. The exalt was dead.

"O-oh, gods…"

"DAMN YOU, GANGREL!" Chrom cussed out, now beyond livid.

"NOOOOOOO!" Lissa could only muster that much.

It was then that the mad king stepped forth. The chortling he emitted caused everyone in the vicinity to clench their fist in rage, the redhead was no exception. Cordelia cared little for what Gangrel had to say, rather opted to focus on the three figures that appeared. Basilio, Flavia, and Marth reflected a newfound anxiety. Without Emmeryn, there was no reason for Chrom to submit the shield or blade. The most worrisome matter now was escape.

"We've secured an escape route! Hurry! Hurry!" The burliest of the three shouted.

"But- But- I have to recover her—" He was not even allowed to finish his sentence.

"Not enough time, boy! Robin, drag him!" Not much choice in the matter, the tactician complied.

Into the carriages they went, all the Ylissean combatants looked to be in a daze. The tight carriage Cordelia found herself looking into was by far the most somber. Chrom, Robin, and Lissa all looked a myriad of emotions. The youngest of the lot was about near to break out crying once more. The white-haired man had a solemn air around him, a figurative miasma that caused her to hesitate any sort of approach. It was self-explanatory what was the prince's state. Out of everyone, he took the hardest blow. To someone placed in a similar exodus, the redhead gave all her sympathies to Chrom. Yet, she was unable to reason the full extent of Robin's woes. Unlike the empathy she held toward Chrom, she knew not any means of comforting her friend. Hesitantly, she closed the door. Her pegasus now in wait of her command. "Oh Dawn Dragon, what can be done?"

Her head rotated to look backward on the citadel. "Goodbye, Phila, Exalt Emmeryn. Your deaths will not be in vain. Chrom, Lissa, and everyone else live on and get stronger." She said to herself. Although her sentiments were for no one to hear that, it was attempt at showing her once lost optimism.


End file.
